Signs of Hope

Young artist Amy Bowers spent a great deal of time over the past four years gathering discarded cardboard signs once used as a means of survival for the numerous homeless citizens of Eugene.

“I came upon my first sign by chance and was immediately intrigued by the idea of collecting a large amount of them,” reads the self-authored description of Bowers’ installment. “At first I didn’t know whether or not I’d ever find enough signs to call it a ‘collection,’ but as soon as I started keeping an eye out for them, they started piling up in my room.”

Photo by Jackson Voelkel

For Bowers, the collecting of signs has become a discovered art form. But aside from this it has also given her the opportunity to get involved with rehabilitation and improvement of the Eugene community as a whole. Her installment on Friday, June 3, was not only an art show but a fundraiser for local organization ShelterCare, which serves members of the Lane County homeless community, giving them a voice.“ They [ShelterCare] specifically work to rehabilitate those who have families and/or mental illness,” Bowers explained.

Among ShelterCare’s services are emergency shelter, one-on-one group support and assistance with basic needs such as food, clothing and supplies. It is all too fitting that Bowers’ display would sit hand in hand with such an important organization.

Many of the signs featured are more than just a source of intrigue. Indeed, on these scraps of beer boxes and old “For Rent” notices are scribbled all breeds of truth, ranging from sharp and humorous wit to desperate and heartbreaking cries for help. The collection makes visible the community that many members of our public have deemed invisible. In this, a chance at optimism is cultivated both for the homeless community and for those who wish to make a difference.

Amy Bowers’ Homeless Sign Collection is part of the Eugene Storefront Art Project. For more information about ShelterCare, go to www.sheltercare.org

EW 6/9

South Eugene Farmers’ Market

I love summer time and, after all, who doesn’t? If for nothing else, you gotta love it for the fruit: Strawberries, blueberries, pears, cherries (and all the rest). Yes, it’s truly one of the best times to get your healthy snack on. Speaking of which, if you’re looking for delicious produce this summer, there’s a hidden gem to be discovered at the Southtowne Shoppes courtyard in Southeast Eugene. Located on the corner of 28th and Oak streets, the South Eugene Farmers’ Market boasts a cozy assortment of vendors from all over Lane County’s local farmland.

The main attraction is Sweetwater Farm’s produce stand, which acts as a centerpiece for the weekly event. The stand itself has produce ranging from organically grown vegetables to perfectly ripe fruit, and the people are always friendly. The entire market is set back from the main road and remains fairly quiet throughout the day, but this shouldn’t be taken as a sign of inferiority — it’s simply indicative of the fact that the most frequent customers come from the neighborhood surrounding the Southtowne Shoppes complex.



The location has other benefits, too: It’s slap-bang in the center of just about everything worth visiting in the area — Barry’s Espresso and Bakery, Long’s Meat Market, Mulligan’s Pub (okay, so that one’s a matter of opinion, especially before noon) and Sushi Domo are all a stone’s throw away from the market. And if that doesn’t tickle your fancy, there’s always the produce stands to keep you occupied for as long as you please. Oh, and free samples — don’t miss the free samples.

It’s not often that a well-kept-by-accident secret such as this gets unearthed, so get out there and scope it while you can. The market starts early, and winds down a bit by the early afternoon, so it’s probably for the best if you’re an early riser on this one. After all, the best stock is to be had at the beginning of the day.

The South Eugene Farmers’ Market starts Sunday, June 12, and runs through September. Hours are 9 am-2 pm. More information at goodfoodeasy.com

EW Summer Guide 6/2

In Vino Veritas, So Why So Sniffy?

Wise words for the would-be wine fan

Everyone’s been there: It’s a special occasion, so you’re sitting in a fancier-than-normal restaurant, enjoying some freshly cooked cioppino (or any other expensive sounding seafood), when some loud-mouthed wine “connoisseur” is ushered to the table right next to yours.

Next thing you know, wine guy is perusing the wine list and discussing the fact that he enjoys “dry, full-bodied wines from the south of France,” or something he hopes sounds equally impressive to his date as well as every patron within earshot. This is the same guy who eventually will call the waiter back to the table and claim that his wine is “corked,” and that he would like a replacement bottle. Most likely, he is also the guy who has seen one too many wine-tasting shows on the Food Network and now believes he knows exactly what he’s talking about.

This guy is ill informed. Do not listen to this guy.



Words like “dry” and “full-bodied” are thrown around all the time in the wine community, and to those who are actually able to define them, they are just simple vocabulary. The truth is, though, a lot of people are only making educated stabs at what these words actually mean. And it’s these same phrases that strike fear into the hearts of newcomers who possess a genuine interest in wine, as the risk of sounding uninformed seems too high a price to pay for getting involved.

I’m here to tell you: Have no fear.

I, for one, had always thought that “dry” was indicative of that cheek-clenching dry mouth sensation that occurs quite often when drinking red wine — turns out it just means “the opposite of sweet.” In fact, that puckering sensation is caused by tannin — a low-weight, astringent plant compound known for its bitterness.

I was lucky enough to speak face-to-face with Boris Wiedenfeld of Sundance Wine Cellars (2441 Hilyard St.), and he informed me with great ease that, despite all the scientific crap, the world of wine is not nearly as complicated as it seems.

Breaking down the most enjoyable way to taste wine is simple; it all has to do with employing four of your five senses. First of all, the way a wine looks in a glass can give the drinker hints toward a number of things, including the quality, intensity and age of a wine. For example, if a red wine is bluish — that is, closer to purple — then it is younger. If the wine looks to be “cloudy,” then most likely it’s not of good quality. A good wine should be translucent.

Now that you’re done looking at your wine, you can smell it. There are a number of misconceptions surrounding the smelling of wine — most of them based on the idea that it is designed for something far more complicated than its actual purpose. In truth, people smell wine because it smells good.

“I’ll have people come in here for wine tastings on Fridays, and they’ll stand there for the entire night just smelling the same glass,” Wiedenfeld told me, further indicating that sensual enjoyment should be the wine taster’s primary concern. Smelling wine also can give the taster some indication as to the complexity of the wine — though that kind of thing can be reserved for the boring, critical tasters and thrown to the side whenever pleasure takes precedence.

Once you’re all done hawking whiffs of wine up your nostrils, the moment everyone’s been waiting for has arrived: It’s time to taste that shit.

Here’s the part of wine tasting where that guy from the restaurant thinks it’s his time to shine; here’s where words like “dry,” “full-bodied,” “finish,” “corked” and “fruity” start flying around like linguistic shrapnel in a wine-infested war zone. Don’t worry, the fun of wine is not knowing every single one of these words and using them as much as possible — it’s entirely sensual, and no wannabe wine snob should be able to take that from you.

The most enjoyable way to taste wine is to first take a sip and swish it like mouthwash. This helps to build up the level of acidity in your mouth so the wine will not be so out of balance when it’s finally sipped. After waiting a little while, a normal sip can be taken and enjoyed. Here, pay attention to the way the wine coats your mouth, and also to the subtle flavors. No matter how each wine tastes, much of the fun to be had is in spotting differences among the various wines — relish this.

In case you’re wondering (and, like I was, you probably are), a wine that’s “full-bodied” will simply coat your mouth and throat more intensely. This has to do with viscosity, and a wine’s “finish” is simply determined by how long the flavor stays in your mouth after tasting.

“No one’s going to put ‘has a short finish’ on their label,” Wiedenfeld told me before grabbing a bottle of corked wine and showing me exactly how it smells.

If you think your wine is corked, chances are it isn’t. If that asshole in the restaurant thinks his wine is corked, chances are it isn’t. Corked wine smells like wet cardboard wrapped around a log of Steven Seagal’s shit — and I’m gonna go ahead and guess that it doesn’t taste much better. Most people returning a bottle of wine because it’s “corked” just don’t like the wine. “It wasn’t what they were expecting,” said Wiedenfeld.

Wine tasting should be done entirely for personal enjoyment. Now is the time to block out those knowledgeable (or pretentious) winos and start fresh. Now is the time to get involved, no matter how scary the vocabulary is. Now is the time to become a wine fan.

EW "Uncorked, 2011" 5/19

Best of Eugene Winners!

Well, everyone voted, here's a few of the people and places that won:


Eugene Weekly Cover 11/4

Best Band - Medium Troy

Nobody describes Medium Troy’s sound better than the band itself: “A nasally white dude with catchy hooks and sick beats,” says the band’s MySpace. This pretty much sums it up. Those beats are liquid, golden and epic, and the instrumental segments of the group’s show will either have you standing in awe or kickin’ back and nodding your head. The guys throw down some sweet rhymes, get silly, jam out and overall just blow minds. Their shows have a tendency to sell out around here, probably because the mixture of hip-hop, dub, reggae and all those other genres is about as strong as the grass in their songs: “I think I’ll smoke a bowl / that’s just the way I roll / I rock pajamas ’cause they’re oh so much more comfortable.” Well, guys, you’ve been voted best band two years in a row now, and we’re pretty comfortable with that. Visit them HERE


Best Solo Musical Performer - Jesse Meade

Photo from Jesse's website (link below)

Oh, how that voice strums our heartstrings! Jesse Meade has long impressed crowds in our town (and a lot of other places) with his wondrous noodling and beautiful singing. Meade is both unforgettably mellow and a powerful performer who keeps the audience glued to the stage. He could be compared to Jack Johnson, or Joe Purdy, or whomever; but who cares whom he sounds like? He is Jesse Meade, and Eugene thinks he rocks. Visit him HERE


Best Hangover Breakfast - Brails

Brails has been the accepted hangover breakfast spot in Eugene for some time now, and as a result, the place is adorned with plaques, signs and newspaper clippings that boast of their ability to make our crapulous mornings bite the dust. There’s a reason for this: Counting the times that we’ve craved some wholesome greasy spoon action the morning after is a near impossible task, and Brails is always right there waiting to satisfy our desires. Prices are cheap, coffee is bottomless and the service is quick. If you’re in need of a place to help you walk straight, clear the thunderstorm in your head and de-fog your eyes, Brails is without a doubt Eugene’s best.


Best Barista - Thomas Howard, Wandering Goat Coffee Company

Thomas Howard has been working as a barista for the Wandering Goat Coffee Company for just over three years now, and in that time he has managed to gain the respect of customers across the city. Relaxed, refreshing and clearly enjoying the atmosphere of the shop, he’s always down to slide a steamer in your direction. “I love it,” he says. “They treat me well.” Well, Thomas, you’ve been treating us well for a few years now, and our hats are off to you.


Best Breakfast - The Glenwood

Delicious food is on the horizon if you’re on the prowl for some good eats in the morning — or, for that matter, any time of the day — because Glenwood is calling your name. The Eugene legend has two locations — campus and Willamette — monster plates of grub, relaxing atmosphere and fair prices. Don’t be disheartened if the place is packed; not only is this a sure sign that the food is good, but it won’t be too long a wait with the fast and friendly service. When hunger pangs strike on a lazy Sunday morning, the Glenwood is the place to go.


Best BBQ - Papa’s Soul Food Kitchen & Blues Joint


Photo from the Eugene Saturday Market Blog

Where else? Papa’s Soul Food has long been our favorite: that fancy menu, those excellent prices, the complete and utter comfort that can be found in filling our bellies with cornbread, hush puppies and perfectly barbecued meat. We recommend being adventurous; try your best to do the entire menu over the course of your life. From catfish and oysters to fried chicken and pulled pork, there really isn’t a dish not worth trying. Great atmosphere, great food and great times: It’s not hard to see why y’all love it.


Oh, and here's my favorite thing that someone wrote on the ballot:

Best Way To Improve Eugene
If we could get a unicorn, that would be nice.

EW 11/4
Congratulations to all!
There's like a billion other categories HERE

John Craig Comes Home

Ah, Portland, our colossal neighbor to the north. It’s got all of the things a big city needs: buildings, parks, rivers, bridges — and let’s not forget the artists. In fact, Portland has been home to a whole lot of great musicians in its time.

Here’s another that nobody should miss: John Craig, who started out his days as a musician right here in Eugene. As UO students, Craig and his friend Ryan Dobrowski — who now plays his part for Blind Pilot — created Tympanic, gaining mild success on the West Coast before graduation. Since then, Craig has pursued a solo career based on a touching blend of electro, rock and pop that is hard to categorize. At times, his voice is reminiscent of Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie), while other times it’s just something completely different.



Craig’s music is mellow yet danceable, colorful yet gray, grounded yet spacey and everything in between. In each song, he achieves a rich framework of textures and sounds that aims to please. If you are in need of a reminder that Oregon still rocks ridiculously hard, this is your man. John Craig plays at 8:30 pm Sunday, Oct. 3, at Taylor’s Bar & Grille. 21+. Free.

[EW 9/30]
Also Scope: The Best Kissers in the World

Tamarack Wellness Center Begs Support

Local nonprofit Tamarack Wellness Center has fallen into deep financial crisis with the loss of a $60,000 donor. The center itself—which offers swimming, yoga and massage therapy as a means of promoting good health—relies exclusively upon donations and fees to keep itself functional. Without government finance, the loss of a $60,000 donor could be detrimental to the center’s quality of service unless said amount is raised by September 1st.

Donor and executive director for the Tamarack Wellness Center, Sue Sherman, will take her leave from the company at the end of this month, thus cutting her donation chord and resulting in the urgent revenue shortage. She encourages the public to donate so that Tamarack can “broaden its base of support.”

She says: “It’s time for the Lane County community to do their part” in a cry for help to the citizens of Eugene—and surrounding areas—to save the company by making tax deductible donations.



As of now, the company has raised $15,000, and so find themselves with 75% of next month’s finances left to gather. Board members at Tamarack seem to be handling the stress of the situation well; Ann Cole, board chair, says: “We are confident we can raise the support we need to keep Tamarack alive.”

Ultimately the irony here lies with Sue Sherman’s reason for leaving. She says: “The difficult economic times have contributed to my decision to make this change,” which, understandable as it is, only appears to have left the company with further financial problems.

While the recession has hit everything hard in Oregon, nonprofits seem to be taking the brunt with fewer willing donors to support their services. Tamarack Wellness Center falls unhappily into that category with their founder and major donor falling prey to the economic crisis. For more information on the center, or to donate, see www.tamarackwellness.org

Take ‘em or Leave ‘em

It’s summer again, and everybody is ready to throw their mundane lives aside for some time out. For many, this break takes the form of a weekend camping trip to an overly commercialized — but nevertheless pretty — hosted campground; for others, ridiculous tourist traps like California and Cancun seem to be the only options. But if everybody and their dog decide to go on vacation, what actually happens to the dogs? What about the cats, birds, iguanas and all the other weird creatures that people like to detain and keep as friends? When we humans decide to spend a few days throwing all sorts of money into relaxation, what exactly are we to do with our pets?
Many Eugene pet owners seem to choose the outdoorsy options (camping, backpacking, etc.) because these are pet friendly ways to take time and relax. You can bring your pooch camping most places in Oregon, but national parks such as Crater Lake have restrictions on pets and do not allow them on trails.

For those who are not the outdoor type (but for some reason feel that bringing their pet along on vacation is an absolute must), there are an abundance of Oregon establishments that cater to the canine and other furry clientele. This ranges from inns and hotels to vacation rentals and resorts. If these places don’t cater to pets, one response that has worked for some is stuffing your little friends into a backpack and sneaking ’em in Trojan-horse style. Disclaimer one: This may not work with small yappy dogs. Disclaimer two: We’re not suggesting you do this, just that it happens sometimes.


(Photo: Mandie Stuhan, Lucky Dog)

Now, for those who want to venture far from home, attachment to these cute little life forms tends to pose a larger problem. Paying extra to have your dog locked in a cage for four hours while you fly across the country sounds awful, not to mention the fact that you’re locking up your precious poodly-kins. But here’s the good part: Pets, as much as we sometimes want them to be, are not children. Eugene is littered (pun intended) with cat and dog daycares and boarding kennels, so don’t rule them out as a possibility. This is not to say we should ditch our pets, but rather to weigh the pros and cons of bringing them long distances to crowded vacation spots.

One of the coolest options open to Lane County dog lovers who want to leave town but don’t want their beasties to languish without the benefits of the great outdoors is the Canine Campout provided by the highly certified Mandie Stuhan, owner of Lucky Dog. The campout basically involves your dog living a fun and healthy outdoor lifestyle at the coast or out hiking for a few days. They can “run on the beach, have fun and basically just chill,” says Stuhan.

So take ’em or leave ’em, the choice is yours.

Talk to Lucky Dog about their Canine Campout at
744-BARK


(In the 7/29 issue of EW)

Young Homeless In Eugene: Cover Story

Tim, age 20, Radcliffe, Ky.

“My entire family has been made up of criminals, addicts, alcoholics and car mechanics,” Tim says. He’s been homeless for about two months, he says, and lives on the doorstep outside of John Henry’s. He earned his GED from an adult education center and recently got a job at the Wendy’s on Franklin Boulevard.
He left the South because, “Kentucky seemed bland, you know? I just wanted to see the world for what it was.”
“I want to be a carnie; it’s my life dream to own a traveling circus.”


(Eugene Weekly 7/1 issue)

Jesus, age 16, Eugene
He calls himself Jesus because, “I was on mushrooms and decided that, not unlike Jesus, I see everything for what it is.”
Jesus says he was raised by a normal family in the Whiteaker area and was homeschooled til about halfway through high school. He’s been homeless since he was 13. Jesus used to live in a traditional homeless shelter, now lives on the doorsteps of businesses in downtown Eugene.
He says that nobody ever gives homeless people — much less homeless kids — the time of day to hear their stories. “Living outside of society, trying to keep equilibrium with everything around.”
He manages to make an average of $10 in an hour (on a good day) by asking for change.

(From the Cover Story: Eugene Weekly 7/1)
http://www.eugeneweekly.com/2010/07/01/index.html

The Secret Society of Giraffes

With a growing fan base here in Eugene, the electronic psychedelia that is “The Secret Society of Giraffes” discards convention to create a style all of its own. With solid beats, strange time signatures and lyrics that tend to evoke personal apocalypse, the project is a unique powerhouse that challenges human perception. With smooth progressions throughout songs, often leading to explosions of sound, it becomes increasingly more difficult to fight the urge to dance.

“I try to write songs about living in the world, and a lot of them are about mistakes I’ve made.” Says nineteen-year-old Ali Muhareb, the sole mastermind behind S.S.G, whose solo work is undoubtedly the crown jewel of his music career thus far. Though he has years to go before reaching a zenith, this young artist still has the power to amaze. At such a young age, it becomes startlingly clear that Muhareb has a lot of time left to build upon his already abundant talent.

With mostly processed vocals, fans of clean, vocoder-free music may find difficulty in “The Secret Society of Giraffes” at first, but before long the way in which the singing is crafted grows into an entirely novel experience. With heavy vocalization, the words are extracted from their usual context, thus allowing the lyrics to reach an almost instrumental state. This, along with many similar characteristics, makes up the essence of originality that lies within Muhareb’s tracks.


(Photo: SSG: it's what's for dinner)

From the calming progressions of “God’s Of Sound” through to the utter freak-out that is “Powerful Beat”, the LP “We’re all Doomed/It’s Alright” contains many of Muhareb’s signature sounds. Most of the tracks found on this album are also seen at S.S.G shows, where the young artist is sometimes joined by guitarist Denis Rickard who adds a fuller, more psychedelic feel to the project’s futuristic sound. Beyond this, Muhareb designs his own lightshows that only serve to heighten the senses further.

The project has already been the subject of abundant votes for this year’s “PDX Pop Now” festival that will take place in Portland over the summer, and with the imminent release of a new EP entitled “The Earth is a Snow Globe” it will be hard to miss Muhareb and his “Secret Society of Giraffes” in the not so distant future.